Being laid off can allow you the freedom to finally start your business. Reading these books will help you get into modern entrepreneur mode.
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Downsizing continues to be a forecast certainty for 2026, including for major companies. For more than a year, I’ve witnessed a revolving door of layoffs, especially in the tech sector. And it’s hard to ignore when a behemoth like Amazon terminates 14,000 employees.
This means a lot of people are going to be looking for work. But not everyone is just willing to work for another employer. Some may decide to make a new start as the head of their own businesses.
If you’re among the ranks of recently unemployed with aspirations of entrepreneurship, you’re probably on a mission of amassing guidance. In addition to talking with other founders, I recommend looking through a few of the latest leadership books on launching a successful organization. While no book has all the answers, the best ones will serve as the seeds for your next big idea.
1. John Kay — The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century: Why (Almost) Everything We Are Told About Business Is Wrong
This particular book belongs on your radar for a couple of important reasons. First, it sets a strong foundational tone for anyone starting a business in 2026 by identifying the most outdated corporate myths that could hold you back as an entrepreneur. Secondly, it provides you with a viewpoint straight from a financial expert, which is essential.
One of the biggest reasons that foundling companies fail is because their funding fades (or they just don’t know how to manage their books). By getting an in-depth look at the economics of entrepreneurship while you’re just turning your passion into a business, you may be able to bypass the frustration of dried-up coffers. I’m not saying that The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century will become your financial go-to, but it will help you reframe the way you think about the modern business world.
Can you still move fast, fail quickly, break (and fix) stuff? Sure — that’s startup life at its most basic level. However, you don’t want to begin a race without knowing the general lay of the land. John Kay gives you a realistic, future-forward road map that can provide you a little insider knowledge on the topography of economics in the mid-2020s.
2. Andreas Widmer — The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship: Creating Enduring Value
This business staple will grab your attention if you’re keen on being a people-focused CEO. Even if you’re the most emotionally intelligent person, you can still fall short when it comes to giving your internal and external stakeholders the emotional attention they need and deserve. By reading The Art of Principled Entrepreneurship, you can improve those soft skill sets and be the human-centric trust leader that you want to become.
I particularly like that Andreas Widmer emphasizes that you don’t have to give up your hope of making profits to give people a terrific experience. On the contrary, each chapter encourages you to make the right choices from a human standpoint without giving up any dreams of thriving fiscally.
You’re not going to spend your time launching an upstart business just to see it bleed money. However, you’re also probably not interested in losing employees or customers because of a lackluster culture or reputation. This guide ensures you know how to balance both goals successfully for a winning startup blueprint.
3. Mel Robbins — The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About
I don’t know about you, but when I make a big change, I can sometimes get in my own way trying to control every aspect of it. That’s where The Let Them Theory comes in handy. In typical honest Mel Robbins style, the book gives you permission to let go and let live. It frees you from the assumption that you have to do it all when you’re striking out as a founder.
Another benefit of reading this particular how-to is that it provides the pick-up most of us need after losing a job. Even if your company treated you well, the experience of being laid off is rarely associated with positive feelings. Instead, it tends to engender a lot of negativity, from fear to discouragement. The Let Them Theory is designed to give you more perspective so you can see the next phase of your career and life in a more objective way.
If you’re working with a co-founder, I would gift them this book so you’re reading it together. It’s always helpful when you’re on the same page so you can follow shared philosophies.
Being let go means letting go of what you thought you’d do for the foreseeable future. But it can also be your chance to strike out and make bold choices. Reading a few books while you’re in the planning stages of an entrepreneurial journey can give you a solid framework to begin building your company.